Cell phones are getting better everyday at capturing moments. While they are still a long way from replacing video cameras, there are some very basic points that can make a smart-phone a very decent method of making a high quality video.
1. Hold The Phone Horizontally. The biggest mistake that SO many people make is to hold their phones in the "portrait" mode. While this may work for taking selfies and Instagram, it is by far the biggest mistake you can make when shooting video. Hold your phone horizontally so that videos played back on other screens (virtually everywhere) will look fine.
2. Great Lighting Is Essential. With smart phones lighting is especially important, because they have smaller image sensors and lenses. Plan ahead to have lots of natural light available, and whenever possible, try not to shoot facing the light, but instead focus on having the light to the side or back of your camera. When indoors, try using the light from a window or turn on all the lights in the room to brighten things up. Another tip is to use the focus tap on your phone's camera. This causes the camera to take the exposure of the subject instead of the surroundings.
Tap on the subject on the screen and the camera will adjust the light and focus settings for you.
3. Stabilize Your Phone. Most phones don't have image stabilization in them, and if they do it's very limited. Try setting your phone against something, or on a tripod. If you must shoot handheld, try tucking your arms in to your body and leaning against something solid.
Tripods like the Gorillapod by Joby are great ways that don't take up space to stabilize your camera.
4. Audio Matters As Much As Video. While you want your video to look good, the quality of your audio is more important than the video, so it should matter as much, if not more. Most phones audio inputs do not hold up to their video quality, and it is near impossible to fix audio problems in your software, so what do you do? Many buy an external recorder and combine the audio and video later in their editing software. They use directional microphones and lav or lapel mics to get rid of wind noise and interference with other noise sources. What about if you don't have or don't want to haul around extra microphones and recorders? Plan your shoot in a quiet environment. Cup your hand over the mic on windy days. Make sure to get as close to the subject as possible, and make sure if there are speaking parts that the person speaking projects confidently.
Most phones audio is not up to par and an external device is needed for decent sound.
5. Get Close To Your Subject. Staying physically closer to your subject ensures better image quality as most smartphones use a digital zoom rather than optical zoom. This will create clearer video with less noise, and provide better audio.
Producing videos that you can be proud of is quite an accomplishment. While it may seem daunting at first, the trick is to just get in there and learn it as you go. Have fun and get creative.
If you have any other tips, or would like to add an app that you feel would help people record on their phones, feel free to comment below
